A plain and familiar exposition of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth chapters of the…A plaine and familiar exposition of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth chapters of the…

First, the Lord himself knoweth all their intents, thoughts, Reas. 1 and imaginations, and who shall enjoin him to keep their counsels, and not disclose them?

First, the Lord himselfe knoweth all their intents, thoughts, Reas. 1 and imaginations, and who shall inioyne him to keepe their counsailes, and not disclose them?

Secondly, he hath variety of means whereby he doeth impart §2to his people the plots and practises of impostors, directing them sometimes by ordinary rules to detect them, as by parling with them, and propounding questions unto them, and seriously judging of their speeches and answers: and so by observation of their gestures, of their countenance, &c. which now and then bewray the mischief which they conceive in their minds. And sometimes by extraordinary revelation, as Jeremiah confesseth, saying, The Lord hath taught me, and I know it, even then thou showedst me their practises. But I was like a Lamb, or Bullock ¹that was brought to the slaughter, and I knew not that they had devised thus against me, saying, let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and cut him out of the Land of the living, that his name may be no more in memory. As craftily as Jeroboam had contrived the matter, to send his wise disguised to Abijah the Prophet, yet Abijah informed by the Lord knew who she ⟨p. 109⟩was, and why she came, before she set a foot within his door. In like manner was Gehesi found out by Elisha, and Ananias ²with Sapphira by Peter, and others by other of his servants.

Secondly, he hath variety of meanes whereby he doeth impart §2